THE PROPOSED MODEL POSTULATES TWO SETS OF CONDITIONS (PATHS) THAT LEAD TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE FIRST (AND PROBABLY MOST COMMON) PATH INVOLVES WEAK BONDS TO CONVENTIONAL SOCIETY, AND EXPOSURE AND COMMITMENT TO GROUPS INVOLVED IN DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE SECOND PATH INVOLVES STRONG BONDS TO SOCIETY, CONDITIONS AND EXPERIENCES THAT WEAKEN THOSE BONDS, AND USUALLY INVOLVEMENT WITH DELINQUENT GROUPS. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF BONDS: INTEGRATION (INTERNAL) AND COMMITMENT (EXTERNAL). INTEGRATION INCLUDES SUCH VARIABLES AS OCCUPANCY OF CONVENTIONAL SOCIAL ROLES; PARTICIPATION IN CONVENTIONAL ACTIVITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS; AND THE PRESENCE OF EFFECTIVE SANCTIONING NETWORKS IN ONE'S IMMEDIATE SOCIAL CONTEXTS. COMMITMENT VARIABLES INCLUDE PERCEIVED LEGITIMACY OF CONVENTIONAL NORMS, NORMLESSNESS, SOCIAL ISOLATION, SOCIETAL ESTRANGEMENT, POWERLESSNESS, ATTACHMENT TO PARENTS AND PEERS, BELIEF IN CONVENTIONAL GOALS AND VALUES, AND TOLERANCE FOR DEVIANCE. MANY EXPERIENCES ENCOUNTERED IN ADOLESCENCE--FAILURE-SUCCESS EXPERIENCES, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE LABELING, CRISES IN THE HOME, SCHOOL, OR COMMUNITY--CAN REINFORCE OR WEAKEN BONDS, AT TIMES LEADING TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR BY YOUTHS WITH INITIALLY STRONG BONDS TO SOCIETY. WITH ITS RECOGNITION OF MULTIPLE ETIOLOGICAL PATHS, THE PROPOSED MODEL OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND AVOIDS THE CLASS BIAS INHERENT IN TRADITIONAL PERSPECTIVES. AT THE SAME TIME, THE MODEL IS CONSISTENT WITH EMPIRICAL FINDINGS ON DELINQUENCY AND SUGGESTS INSIGHTS INTO CONTRADICTORY FINDINGS. A SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF THE MODEL AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. SEE NCJ-55881 AND 55882 FOR CRITIQUES. (LKM)